my pc is crashing but not in a pattern e.g. time. but i have reallised that my 12v rail in bios sais 11.6-7 ish and once pc is up and running using speedfan it indicates 11 exactly sometimes 11.07 and i think i have seen it just below. im not sure if this is either the software not being accurate or this is my problem, what do you think. thanks. edit. oh yea i forgot its a 450W EZcool and i took the powersupply test and it suggested 600W odd but it still runs and sometimes i can play a game for hours.
It probably is. However, I'd check the rails with a multimeter. Software takes it's readings from BIOS and may compensate---or attempt it---for in accuracies coming from the BIOS readings. The BIOS readings aren't off the unit itself, they are not accurate. They read after it's passed through some components, leaving it less than the full amount. BIOS tells me my +12V runs at 11.8, but a multimeter registers it at 12.01-12.03 or so. This is my Enermax 535W. My OCZ Modstream 450 gets about the same crap. Secondly, a tolerance of 5% in either direction is acceptable. If you're not going under 11.40V, it's within tolerance. But, meaure it with a multimeter. While I do think the power supply should be replaced with what you have, definitely test it just to be sure. Are you getting BSODs or not? If you are and they're different ones, that's a good sign you have a RAM problem. The Pentium D's use a lot of juice and the X1950 isn't exactly light on power usage either. Some 450W might pull it, but that depends on how much juice the rails have. Even if the unit only uses 450W, running the PSU at full throttle all the time is not a good thing. You wouldn't run the car engine in the red all the time and expect it to last 20 years would you? Same thing with power supplies. Running them at full capacity isn't going to have them last for a long time.
Not quite sure what BSOD is. but when my pc crashes it just freezes still. my ram seems matched to but one of them is really cheap(came with pc) and the other is crucial.
BSOD=Blue Screen of Death. If those are coming up as opposed to the game just kicking to the desktop (and assuming it's not just a game flaw), it's an indicator of the RAM being at fault.
when i say crash its a crash with no coming back. screen frozen solid including mouse. apps dont close or anyhting you just have to reboot
I'm definitely leaning toward a new power supply. Suggestions: Enermax EG565-P VE FMA II (an updated version of what I run in my main box), Corsair 520HX, Antec TruePower TPII-550, OCZ GameXStreme 600, FSP Epsilon 700. These are in the $90-140 range, depending on where you look. Even if it's not the problem, you'll be doing yourself a favor by snagging a new unit. Two things worth looking at quickly are the RAM: (Memtest86 is your best friend (free download). Run that for 3-8 hours to stress the RAM, and make sure there are 0/nada/zilch for errors); and CPU: make sure the heatsink fan is firmly attached, the fan spins, and that it's warm to the touch. As long as you're not going past 60*C---or too much in the case of the Pentium D, I know they run hot---then you should be fine.
Thanks so much, very useful. i will do the memory test and also will buy a new power supply i think i might go for the FSP Epsilon 700 as i know it will last longer and incase i ever upgrade it wont be pushing its limits. thanks. i will post again when i have done them and tell you if it helped.
